Is Benzoyl Peroxide Safe to Treat Acne

For twenty years the F.D.A. has debated the safety of the use of benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne as they’re prone to debating many different things. Be assured that it was the F.D.A. that was debating the safety of benzoyl peroxide, not dermatologists because we’ve always felt, since the inception of its use that it is safe and effective. But finally the F.D.A. has determined and declared that benzoyl peroxide is safe and they put it in the category of “grase products”, G-R-A-S-E, which stands for, “generally recognized as safe and effective”. Well, that’s rather reassuring. Since my last count there are almost a hundred over the counter products with benzoyl peroxide in them for the treatment of acne and countless more products by prescription. But in their final determination that benzoyl peroxide is safe, they did stress three things that we’ve been talking about since the inception of its use. First of all, it can make you a little bit more sensitive to the sun, so you need to use a sunscreen every day. That’s not news. Benzoyl peroxide for people with sensitive skin can be a little bit irritating so you need to use a very low strength, use less of it or use it less often. And lastly, benzoyl peroxide, because it’s a peroxide, can be a bleach, so it can bleach certain color hair and even certain colored fabrics like pillowcases, sheets and pajamas. But please be assured that we are safely keeping benzoyl peroxide in our therapeutic armamentarium in our eternal fight against acne.

For 20 years, the FDA has debated the safety of the use of benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne. In this episode of DermTV, Dr. Schultz discusses the outcome of that discussion. Is benzoyl peroxide safe?